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Rivals Preseason Power Rankings

OSUBuckeye4Life;1168254; said:
You forgot....Tressel should be #1 (holds down #2 right now).

i don't mind jt holding down #2. tOSU making the ncg last season should have been a big selling point for jt. but loosing the ncg vrs. florida, expecially the way we did, is a pretty big negative that will take some time to completely neutralize.

ballard not making the te list is pretty dissapointing. guess it just means we need to get him and nicol the ball more often.

im still not 100% sold on heacock yet.
 
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While blocking tight ends don't get enough credit, you can't seriously say you'd take Ballard or Nicol over Beckum or Coffman...or many of those guys. Our TEs serve a purpose - they catch occasional passes and make decent blocks. They're good at what they do. But they aren't game changers like Beckum and Coffman.

It pains me to say it, but I'd also put Carroll at #1 over Tressel right now. Objectivity seems to dictate that. Tressel might pass Carroll this season, though, if things go our way.
 
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TheIronColonel;1168503; said:
While blocking tight ends don't get enough credit, you can't seriously say you'd take Ballard or Nicol over Beckum or Coffman...or many of those guys. Our TEs serve a purpose - they catch occasional passes and make decent blocks. They're good at what they do. But they aren't game changers like Beckum and Coffman.

im not claiming the list is wrong in anyway. the dissapointing part is more due to ballard and nicol not getting enough opportunities, not them being excluded unfairly.
 
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While blocking tight ends don't get enough credit, you can't seriously say you'd take Ballard or Nicol over Beckum or Coffman...or many of those guys. Our TEs serve a purpose - they catch occasional passes and make decent blocks. They're good at what they do. But they aren't game changers like Beckum and Coffman.

It pains me to say it, but I'd also put Carroll at #1 over Tressel right now. Objectivity seems to dictate that. Tressel might pass Carroll this season, though, if things go our way.
better than beckum?

probably one of the best pro style te in cfb right now if you ask me.
 
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TheIronColonel;1168503; said:
While blocking tight ends don't get enough credit, you can't seriously say you'd take Ballard or Nicol over Beckum or Coffman...or many of those guys. Our TEs serve a purpose - they catch occasional passes and make decent blocks. They're good at what they do. But they aren't game changers like Beckum and Coffman.

Nope, I feel pretty damn confident saying Ballard is one of the 10 best TE's in the country. He's acrobatic, can make some incredible catches, and I doubt you'll find a better blocker.
 
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Dude, I love Ballard as much as the next guy. I got to see him more than a few times when he played in high school. He's vastly underutilized, but he's just not in the same league as a guy like Travis Beckum. Sorry, you're gonna have an up hill battle convincing me that a TE who caught more passes for more yardage than our best receiver isn't tops.

Top ten for Ballard? Maybe. I'm not sure he's much better than Nicol, but maybe. Top five? Sorry, not for me.
 
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TheIronColonel;1168837; said:
Dude, I love Ballard as much as the next guy. I got to see him more than a few times when he played in high school. He's vastly underutilized, but he's just not in the same league as a guy like Travis Beckum. Sorry, you're gonna have an up hill battle convincing me that a TE who caught more passes for more yardage than our best receiver isn't tops.

Top ten for Ballard? Maybe. I'm not sure he's much better than Nicol, but maybe. Top five? Sorry, not for me.

Didn't say he was better than Beckum or he was as good as Beckum. They're two different types of TE's. I don't think Beckum could do what Ballard does and vice-versa. Do you ever watch the guy block? Do you ever watch any TE's blocking? You might want to take that into consideration.
 
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TheIronColonel;1168948; said:
If I just wanted a 6th blocker, I could put a 3rd tackle into the game. Ballard's a decent blocker, no doubt, but the position includes more than just blocking.

Go ahead and name me some tackles that can catch the ball like Ballard. He's also more than just a decent blocker. He can put players on their backs and hold the point of attack.
 
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TheIronColonel;1168948; said:
If I just wanted a 6th blocker, I could put a 3rd tackle into the game. Ballard's a decent blocker, no doubt, but the position includes more than just blocking.

Honestly, Ballard is almost a 3rd tackle but he can make catches. I believe Ballard has graded out higher than some of our OL in many games and is always getting high praise for his blocking skills. He is the best blocking TE we've had in a long while imo. He is also a great redzone threat and he can make a play...he is just not utilized well enough. I'm sure he was open plenty but Todd was too busy with Robo and Hartline to see them. I can remember numerous occasions where Nicol or Ballard was open, yet Todd didn't give them a sniff. If Todd makes his reads this year, the TE's should have some more catches.
 
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RB07OSU;1169079; said:
Honestly, Ballard is almost a 3rd tackle but he can make catches. I believe Ballard has graded out higher than some of our OL in many games and is always getting high praise for his blocking skills. He is the best blocking TE we've had in a long while imo. He is also a great redzone threat and he can make a play...he is just not utilized well enough.

I agree totally. With all due respect to Nicol, Ballard is OSU's best TE, and I think part of the reason he isn't utilized well enough is the fact that he splits playing time with Nicol.
 
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